Locking mechanism for switch stands



Oct. 21, 1930. A. A. ADAMS LOCKING MECHANISM FOR SWITCH STANDS FiledMarch is, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "Patented Oct; 21 1 936 ARTHUR A.AnAiirs, o i-BRooKLmE, MAfSs CHUSE'rTs. AssIGNoR. To .n rnwAx sAifE'rY:swr'ncn LcxcoMBANY oF sEAT'rLE, WASHINGTON, A1 CORPORATION 01? 'WASH-FOR swxiron 'sTANns 'A neafion mea Maich,1 6,192 9. Serie1INo.347,666.

This invention relates to locking me chenisms for switch stands, and,with re to certain 'niore specific features theieof,"t0

key-operative detent 'rneehanism: suitably housed and proteetefdf V VThe invention has particular application toswitch operatin" device'sknown as VertlCEtl switch stands" these stands being o fa typeingeneraluse on railroadset thegpi'es w tt m 1 H 'The invention hasfor 'oneofi'ts .obje'ctsito provide an inexpensive, compact and highlye'flic'ient loeking me an -Sm "forfthefswiteh i the standard, equipment."Wlillefthe inven-,

tion in' one of its aspects ihvolv'es tliisfdetach'able unitc'har'aeteris'tic, it, nevertheless, in other aspectshas'feaitureswliiehlmiglit serve as well in ahousing integralfwith theswitch stand. f Still another object is to so avrrange and associate thedetent with "the stand thet i't operates directly in "conjunction with a"vet'- tically movable fc'hit'chfpert, fwhereby opening of the elutoh isdirectly ,prevemdfiby thede'teiit; f Another olijeet" o: the inventionresides "in the provision of extremely simpleo emting I mechanism forcontrollingtheniovernents of the detent; this I mechanism heing iinexpensive to produce, easykto assemble, extremely sturdy andparticularly 1 effet ive; in preventwing'movement of theiideteiitsexceptin an authorized/manner; Y v

The invention,- accordingly; consists in various features ofconstruction, eombimtions of elements and anag-hgements of pai ts whichwill be -exeniplifiedl the construction hereinafter set ifejf'th zi'ndillustrated in the accoinpiinyih fdtawings; ffThej scope of "the:eppli'ezttion o the invention will be indicatedinthe;'eppended cliiifns.7 p

' In th'e ftlrewihg'gfFigiire lfisfa; perspective upper flan.ge 132 enda bolt hole v flange 32 extends alongthe 'plate ill-and thenmec'han'is'in shown in another position;

I-Figu're 4 is a sectional view of the-deten mechanism takensubstantiallyalong the-line 4 4 of Figure 2. i r

Figures 5, 6, 7 and8 are operative mechanism. I

Refernng now more particularly to the draw1ngs, there is indicated in"Figure 1 2.

switch standhaving i1 pedestal "lllfth'e upper end of which is providedwith a square-d recess 11. The pedestal is-provided with a suitableour'nal, not shown, and a' cylindrical views of the keyportionl2 of aspindle 13. The s'pindl'eis I squaredthroughout the mzijor p'ortion ofits length and is ieX'teriorly fitted with a squer'ed member 14andsecured thereto byia -bolt 15 passingthrough a bolt hole in thesquared member 14:, a part otthebolt serving is a; key

in a: semi-cylindrical groove 16 formedin the spindle 13, as shown inFigure 2-. The ineln- I her ltlias at the top an extended and curved arm17, the end of which providese'ineans for pivotally supporting a'foi'ked iswit'ch-operating lever 18, the forkeitl ends 19 of whichzttthe -hottom end ofthe elutch body isadaptto be inoved into and out ofposition i wltllll l'tlle squared recess ;1'1 of the pedestal.

The qmechanfisin' as so "fer-described, 'i's at present standardequipment, inoluding the Bolt 15'] ReferringnowtoFigure 2. 3 1nd 4(if-the,drawings 2 c'ast liousing 30-isffornied with a'laterzillyextending plate 3l hav-ing=en The at-right'angles as indicated a t'ii l.@n the ""front sidfe of the housing-there is another shprt liiterallyextending flenge35 (see Fig- 1 provide a yokeembracin a ve'rtieal"ni'ovehle cluth'body21*betwen upper and lo'wer lugs '22 and 23 formedonopposite sides of the *clutch body" at'the upper end thereof. Theclutch biody' has slidingsleeve'actionon the i squared member 14'u'nderfthe control of the lever 18.. By this action','acliit'ch'element'24:

ure 1). Thesefiangesare formedto fit around the sides and top of thesquared member 14 of the switch stand. The original bolt 15 may beremoved and a slightly longer bolt substituted to accommodate thethickness of the flange 31. In this way the housing is secure ly fixedto the switch stand by the substitute bolt 15.

The cast housing has a hollow body 36 rounded at the top, as indicatedat- 37, and formed with depending hollow arm 38, partially closed by anangle plate 39 separately produced and fitted to the housing. A cast web40 divides the attached portion of the housing from the portion whichcontains the actuating locking mechanism.

The housing 30 is provided with bo x ll which is bored to receive abarrel 42 con .ining a key-operative mechanism, indicmed generally at43, in Figures 5, 6 and 8. The forward face of the barrel 42 has pivotedthereon a spring pressed guard 44 normally held in position over a keyhole 45 in the barrel. The guard is provided on one face with one ormore irregularities 46 adapted to conform to the side of a key 47,whereby the. key may be located against the guard and used to move thesame against the spring pressure until the key hole is exposed,whereupon the key may be fitted to the actuating mechanism in thebarrel.

The key-operative mechanism comprises a crank 50, having a crank pin 51,to which is loosely connected, as at 52, :1 depending link 53. The lowerend of the link is formed with extending bosses 54 on either side of thelink, and these bosses are adapted to ride up and down in the housingbetween a wall thereof and a detent member 56, which is pivoted in thehousing at 57. This detent member has a locking nose 58, a shank 59, anda laterally extending bifurcated arm formed on its lower side, as at 61,to receive the lugs 54 of link 53.

The operation of the dveice is follows. Assuming the switch stand to bein a normal locked position with the clu ch body 21 down and the squaredclutch member in the squared recess 11 of the pedestal 12, the switchlever 18 will be in a lowered position with respect to that shown inFigure 1 of the drawings. The operator inserts his key into the barrel42, turns the key substantially 180 degrees, moving the crank 50 of thekey-operative mechanism from the position shown in Figure 2 of thedrawings to that shown in Figure 3. This lifts the link 58, which picksup the laterally extending arm 60 of detent 59, swinging it around thepivot 57, withdrawing the detent nose 5 8 entirely within the hollow arm38 of the housing. This removes. the opposition to the upward move mentof the clutch body 21. The operator now raises the switch lever 18,which pivots around a bolt 20, and this, by reason of its engagementwith lugs 22, raises the clutch body 21 separating the squared clutchpart 24 from its engagement with the pedestal 10. The lever 18 is thenmoved rotatively, carrying with it the spindle 12, which latter isconnected to the switch rail to be operated. This. movement may bethrough an arc of ninety degrees or one hundred and eighty degrees asdesired, after which the lever arm may be dropped, allowing the clutchbody to reset itself within the pedestal. During this movement, the key47 is retained within the lock, but may now be removed by reversing thedirection of movement of the key, which atlects a corresponding reversemovement of the crank lever 50 and a downward movement of the link 58.During this downward movement, the bosses 54 of link 53 have a wedgingaction between the wall 55 of the housing and the shank 59 of thedetent. This urges the detentin the opposite direction around pivotprotrudesthe nose 58 of the detent again into the path of the clutchbody 21, and at this point the operators key may be withdrawn and thedetentis reset in looking position. The locking movement of the detentis limited by engage ment of one side of the shank 59 with the angleplate 39. In the locking position, the

bosses 54 are positioned between the shank 59 of the detent and the Wall55 of the housing. This prevents movement of the detent to unlockingposition even under conditions.

of extreme leverage applied to the detent nose. It is to be noted,however, that the detentnose is positioned at this time against one faceof the squared member 14, so that it is practically impossible to applysubstantial leverage to the detent nose.

WVhile it is not claimed that any part of the present invention residesin the specific keyoperated device contained within the barrel 42, thismechanism has been shown somewhat in detail for the purpose ofillustrating the point that the operation of the detent in bothdirections is dependent upon movement of the key in both directions, andalso that the key is held against withdrawal except when the detent noseis in locking position. A key tang is inserted through the key hole 45,which simultaneously its the hollow stem 71 of the key over a reducedend 72 of an arbor 73. A dog 74 is pivoted at 7 5 on a partition 76fixed in thebarrel at the rear thereof. This dog is spring pressed intothe position shown in Figure 6 by a spring 7 7 Rotation of the key onthe arbor 78 brings the tang of the key against the edge 7 8 of a flange7 9 on the arbor. Continued rotation of the key carries with it theflange, the arbor and the crank 50 fixed to the arbor, after firstreleasing the locking lug 80 on the dog 74 from its engagement with thearbor. It will be obvious that the key may not be withdrawn untilrotated in the reverse direction, during which action the Opposite sideof the tang picks up an edge 81 on the flange 7 9 of the arbor, andmoves the arbor in the opposite direction relocating the detent throughthe mechanism previously described. The key may then be withdrawn fromthebarrel.

Attention is directed to the fact that the locking mechanism isextremely compact and sturdy, and that the action of the detent nose isdirectly upon the vertical movable clutch. The detent when locked,although with an exposed part, is nevertheless protected and reenforcedin such a way that unauthorized manipulation is substantiallyimpossible.

What I claim is 1. A switch stand for railroads, having in combination,a housing having a key-operative mechanism and a detent controlled bysaid mechanism, a lever and connections for throwing a switch, clutchmeans controlled by movement of the lever, the detent being arranged formovement toward and away from the clutch means respectively to lock andunlock the clutch.

2. A switch stand, having in combination, an operating lever, a clutchpart movable by said lever, a housing having a key-operative mechanismtherein, and a detent member movable into and out of locking positionunder control of the key-operative mechanism, said housing being at a.location on the stand that presents the detent opposite the ing positionprojected out of the housin and C) a link in thekey-operative mechanismhaving a wedging action between the housing and the detent to move thelatter to locking position. 7. In a locking device for switch stands, ahousing having a key-operative mechanism therein, a detent pivotallymounted in said housing, having a depending arm with laterally oii'setlockingnose and having also a laterally extending arm, a member in thekeyoperated mechanism providing a wedge movable between a wall of thehousing and said depending arm to throw the locking nose to lockingposition, said member being adapted,

'in an opposite direction of movement to pick up the laterally extendingarm and Withdraw the locking nose.

7 ARTHUR A. ADAMS.

clutch part and prevents movement thereof by the lever until the detentto unlocking position.

3. In a switch stand, in combination, a spindle, a sleeve arranged forrotary movement therewith but movable longitudinally relatively to thespindle, a lever foretfecting both said movements, connections from thelever to a switch rail, and a housing on'the stand containing a movabledetent and a keyoperative mechanism for moving the detent, one movementof the detent being to a position in the path of the longitudinalmovement of the sleeve.

4;. A housing unit for application to a switch stand, said unit having akey-operative mechanism, a movable detent connected to said mechanismand a nose on said detent protruding from said housing for locking, andretractible into the housing for unlocking.

A housing unit for application to a switch stand, said unit having apivoted detent and a key-operative mechanism for moving the same tolocking and unlocking positions, the pivoted. detent having a cam faceand an arm laterally extending from the face, a link in saidkey-operative mechanism having a member movable between an inner face ofthe housing and the cam face of the detent to move ti 2 detent tolocking position, said is key-operated member being adapted upon reverseaction of the key-operative mechanism to pick up the

